Xd .40 or s&w sd40ve?

[snowman03gt]

Ok I can pick which one to get I love both guns and really want a carry gun beside my 809c the xd.40 subcompact is 200 more than the s&w sd40ve money not really a factor here

 

[mcdaniel]

I'd go with a Glock 23.

Given the choices I'd choose the XD.

 

[Tigerstripe]

$200 is a lot of bullets.

 

[armaborealis]

Glock or S&W M&P.

Look at the top ranks of competitive shooters. At top tier competitions, 126 chose the Glock, 97 chose the 1911 (likely as there is a 1911 category), 67 shot the S&W M&P, and 6 used the Springfield XD platform.
http://gunnuts.net/2011/11/28/idpa-worl ... equipment/

Look at what police officers use. How many cops have selected the Springfield XD? A handful? I'm not aware of any that have selected the S&W SD.

The XD is a rebranded Eastern European gun that had to be modified with extra mechanical "safeties" (like the unnecessary grip safety) solely to comply with ATF import restrictions. Springfield has a great marketing campaign and some of their other products are great but the XD is not their best product.

Ditto for the S&W SD: it is basically a redone Sigma, which was always a middle of the pack marginal handgun. Compare that to the Glock and M&P which are in wide service.

If money is really not an issue, get a Glock, S&W M&P, or quality 1911. All of them are highly reliable top tier guns widely used in competition and duty service.

Finally, if you already have a 9mm, why go to 40? We are a .40 SW household and if I could do it over I'd opt for 9mm. All pistol cartridges suck, modern 9mm ammo is pretty good, and 9mm is cheaper and faster for followup shots.

 

[russell97ta]

Glock or S&W M&P.

Look at the top ranks of competitive shooters. At top tier competitions, 126 chose the Glock, 97 chose the 1911 (likely as there is a 1911 category), 67 shot the S&W M&P, and 6 used the Springfield XD platform.
http://gunnuts.net/2011/11/28/idpa-worl ... equipment/

Look at what police officers use. How many cops have selected the Springfield XD? A handful? I'm not aware of any that have selected the S&W SD.

The XD is a rebranded Eastern European gun that had to be modified with extra mechanical "safeties" (like the unnecessary grip safety) solely to comply with ATF import restrictions. Springfield has a great marketing campaign and some of their other products are great but the XD is not their best product.

Ditto for the S&W SD: it is basically a redone Sigma, which was always a middle of the pack marginal handgun. Compare that to the Glock and M&P which are in wide service.
.

I only saw 3 Sig's in the list. Do you want to trash them too? How about CZ? Everyone has an opinion. You call the XD grip safety "unnecessary". I call it a "peace of mind" with me having small children at home. It's easy to pull the trigger on a Glock w/o having a good grip on the gun. With the additional grip safety, it is very difficult to pull the trigger w/o having a solid grip (ie big enough hands) on the gun.

FWIW, I don't like Glock. Great reliable pistol, but it doesn't fit me. I have an XD40SC and .40 XDm 3.8 Compact. I've never had a problem one. There is no major different with reliability in the major "duty" pistols (glock, S&W, XD, Sig, CZ, H&K..etc). A reason why many people do not shoot XD's in IDPA is because it is classified as a ESP, so you cannot use one in SSP like you can a Glock and S&W (and shoot in both classes if you want)

Snowman, get what feels best to you. As for the 9mm/.40 question. Get a .40 and buy a 9mm barrel. You can shoot 9mm in a .40 frame, but not the reverse. This is what I am planning.

 

[armaborealis]

I only saw 3 Sig's in the list. Do you want to trash them too? How about CZ? Everyone has an opinion. You call the XD grip safety "unnecessary". I call it a "peace of mind" with me having small children at home. It's easy to pull the trigger on a Glock w/o having a good grip on the gun. With the additional grip safety, it is very difficult to pull the trigger w/o having a solid grip (ie big enough hands) on the gun.

Sig has a proven track record in wide military and police service. They actually almost won the M9 contract over the Beretta. Sigs are excellent firearms if you dig the DA/SA thing. I'm just saying that if a handgun is not popular in competition OR duty circles, there may be a reason. The S&W M&P line had some reliability issues when initially fielded in large police departments that have been discovered and fixed. Without extensive testing or without fielding in a large standardized environment it is hard to tell if all the bugs are worked out.

OP asked about XDs vs. S&Ws and said money is not an issue. If money is not an issue, why compare the XD (top of Springfield's line) against the SD (middle/bottom on S&W's line)? A fair comparison would be between the XD and the M&P line up. I think the S&W has a lot to offer.

I would never personally leave any handgun accessible to children and think that a mechanical safety of any type would be sufficient to keep them from firing it. I've not read anyone else who suggests that is a good idea, either. That's just me though.

 

[russell97ta]

I would never personally leave any handgun accessible to children and think that a mechanical safety of any type would be sufficient to keep them from firing it. I've not read anyone else who suggests that is a good idea, either. That's just me though.

Wow! Really? How noble of you! Wish I would have thought of that one! :roll:

So are seat belts "unnecessary" safety items because most cars have airbags? Are crush zones "unnecessary" because we have seat belts AND airbags?

What pistols LE use is largely a vehicle of economics. Glock made an aggressive marketing campaign toward the LE market way back when. Being an reliable pistol, why would they change if they are not having issues and getting a good price? Most major duty pistols are on par with each other. I wouldn't have a problem with owning a Glock , Sig, XD, XDm, H&K, M&P, or CZ. All are excellent pistols. Granted the S&W Sigma and SD 40 are intended to be a lower price point.

 

[beerman]

My first pistol was a full-size XD .40, and I absolutely love shooting that handgun. I used it for IDPA every chance I get, and I carried it for quite a while. I wanted something smaller and lighter to carry, so I got a S&W M&P 40c. Obviously, the bigger XD is a much better shooter, but the M&Pc does well for a smaller gun. I wanted to buy an XDm sub-compact, but I didn't have the extra money at the time and I did like the way the M&P felt in my hand. I'm glad I got it for a carry gun, but when I want to shoot for fun... I always grab my XD.

I like having the extra grip safety, it takes absolutely no extra thought when drawing and firing, but like it was said above, it's a nice little piece of mind.

I also hate the way Glock's feel in my hand. I'm sure it's a great gun, but I just don't like them.

And since we seem to be getting into the 9/.40 argument... I'll just say that I like the little extra oomph that you get with the .40 round.

So, I'd recommend holding and shooting both guns you are interested in as much as possible and then make a decision. I doubt it'll be the last gun you ever buy, so remember you can always buy another one if you find you like it better in the future.

 

[badman400]

Another vote for the XD here! I bought my first one (XD-40SC), in Jan of 2006, while I was waiting for the then new XD-45 to come out. The XD-40SC now has over 4100 rounds through with no problems and not a single part replaced. I then bought the XD-45 and it has over 6300 rounds through, with the same reliability. While I do have a Glock 23 which is great pistol, along with two extra bbls in (9mm & 375 Sig), I still favor the XD line. The XD grip safety is not even noticeable and has never presented a problem for me at all. I have shot my XDs in IPPS, IDPA and in 3 gun matches. I have added two (M) models in 9mm & .40 S&W, and they are reliable as well. I have filled up 15 mags over and over all day long at family's home ranges with the XD-45 and just shot them until we were tired. I know I'm biased, but to me the XD is the AK-47 of pistols! And to answer the OP's question, I would have to say XD all the way.

 

[wardog709]

IMHO I would choose the XD. Never had any issues with any XD/XDM I own and have shot thousands of rounds through them. It is a great concealed carry weapon. Just my two cents worth!!!

 

[snowman03gt]

I got rid of my 809 and got a xds